Housing · Rent control
Does Idaho Have Rent Control?
Whether Idaho caps how much rent can rise, whether cities can set their own limits or are barred from it, and the exemptions. Rent control is separate from the notice a landlord must give before an increase. Cited to the statute.
What the rent control law says in Idaho
Whether rent increases are capped, who sets the limit, and the housing the rule does not reach.
Idaho recodified Title 55 Chapter 3 in 2025. The rent-control preemption is now a standalone section 55-306, and the old citation section 55-307 was reassigned to a different subject. If you see an older reference to section 55-307 for rent control, check it against the current text of section 55-306.
| What the law says | What it means |
|---|---|
| State law bars local rent control | Idaho Code section 55-306 says a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would regulate rent, fees, or deposits charged for leasing private residential property. Because it reaches maintaining and enforcing, it also covers any ordinance already on the books, not just new ones. For a renter this means no Idaho city or county can limit how much a landlord raises the rent. |
| No statewide cap either | Idaho sets no statewide limit on rent increases. Apart from the terms of your lease, a landlord may set the rent at whatever the market allows, subject only to the notice rules for changing lease terms. |
| What is exempt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Locally owned property | The section says it does not impair the right of a local governmental unit to manage and control residential property in which the local unit has a property interest. A city or county can still set the rent for housing it owns or has an interest in. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you are facing a rent increase in Idaho. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Read the increase against your lease
A fixed-term lease locks the rent for its term. A mid-lease increase usually is not allowed unless the lease itself permits it, so check your dates and terms first.
- Do not expect a local cap
Because state law preempts local rent control, no Idaho city or county ordinance limits your increase. If someone points to a local cap, ask for the specific ordinance and check it against section 55-306.
- Confirm the notice you received
Idaho still requires notice before a landlord changes the terms of a month-to-month lease. Make sure any increase came with the notice the law requires, even though the amount is not capped.
- Get help if something looks wrong
If the increase seems to break your lease or the notice rules, contact Idaho Legal Aid Services or a local tenant help line before you sign or move.
If you think an increase breaks a cap or a local ordinance, a legal aid office or the state consumer-protection unit can tell you whether a limit applies to your unit.
→ Idaho Legal Aid ServicesThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Caps, local ordinances, and exemptions turn on the specific unit and city, so confirm your situation against the statute.
What renters in Idaho get wrong about rent control
Idaho is a preemption state, so it answers the rent-control question twice over. There is no statewide cap on how much your rent can rise, and Idaho also forbids its own local governments from creating one. The rule is Idaho Code section 55-306, which says a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance that would regulate the rent, fees, or deposits charged for leasing private residential property. The word maintain matters, because it reaches an ordinance already in force, not just a new one. The only real carve-out lets a city or county still control the rent on housing it owns or has a property interest in. One thing to watch is the citation. Idaho recodified this part of its code in 2025, splitting the old combined section apart, so the rent-control rule now sits in a new standalone section 55-306 rather than in section 55-307 where older guides point. For a renter the takeaway is plain. No Idaho local ordinance will cap your increase, and your protection comes from your lease and the state notice rules.
Common questions
Does Idaho have rent control?
No. Idaho has no statewide rent cap, and Idaho Code section 55-306 preempts local rent control, so cities and counties cannot adopt it either.
Can a city or county in Idaho limit my rent?
No. State law bars a local government from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance that would regulate rent, fees, or deposits. The only exception is housing the local government itself owns or has an interest in.
How much can my landlord raise the rent in Idaho?
There is no legal cap on the amount. During a fixed-term lease the rent is set by the lease, but on a month-to-month tenancy a landlord may raise it by any amount after proper notice.
Is the Idaho rent control law at section 55-307?
Not anymore. A 2025 recodification moved the rent-control preemption into a new standalone section 55-306. Older references to section 55-307 for rent control are out of date.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.